13 February 2018
FIRST LEG VERDICT
“In any football match, you can have ups and downs. That is part and parcel of the game. We might have extended our lead to 3-0 or even 3-1 before half-time, but instead Tottenham staged a comeback and ended up equalising at a point in the second period when we actually had the measure of them.
“It was an enthralling encounter overall: we started the first half excellently, but ultimately succumbed to Spurs’ steady growth of confidence during the game. They put us under pressure and capitalised on some of our misplaced passes when we looked to break forwards.
“With [Mario] Mandzukic and Douglas Costa playing close to [Gonzalo] Higuain, and a bank of three midfielders behind them, we coped better. Before that, we were sitting too deep.
“Let’s not forget about Tottenham’s merits in this match. This is the Last 16, after all, and I had already counted on having to go to Wembley to fight for a place in the next round. I never thought that we would kill off the tie this evening.”
FULL FOCUS FOR CHALLENGES AHEAD
“The second leg in London is still some way off, so now we turn our attentions back to the league and Sunday’s derby against Torino. We will have [Paulo] Dybala and [Blaise] Matuidi back in time for Wembley. Notwithstanding their returns from injury, I think that we have what it takes to make a real fist of this tie.
“Tottenham and Juventus are two top clubs, but now this match needs to be put aside so that we can concentrate on Serie A and stay hot on the heels of Napoli.”
KEEPING SPIRITS HIGH
“The Champions League is difficult this season and next year it will probably be even harder. We have enjoyed three extraordinary campaigns so far, therefore there must not be any discontent after a home draw in this first leg. We have to keep spirits high going into the return match.”
